As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONMENT
Abandoning an animal in the person's custody without making reasonable arrangements for assumption of custody by another person.
ANIMAL
Any wild or domesticated warm-blooded creature.
ANIMAL CARE FACILITY
An animal control center or animal shelter, maintained by or under contract with any state, county or municipality, whose mission and practice is, in whole, or significant part, the rescue, temporary care, and placement of animals in permanent homes or rescue organizations.
ANIMAL FEEDING
To give, place, expose, deposit, distribute or scatter any edible or other material with the intent of feeding, attracting or enticing any stray, feral or wild animal, and any conduct which a person knows, or reasonably should know, would result in the giving, placing, exposing, distributing or scattering of any edible or other material which would result in the feeding, attracting or enticing of any stray, feral or wild animal.
ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION
Any not-for-profit organization which has tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, whose mission and practice is, in whole or in significant part, to house and care for homeless animals, with the intent of placing the animals in responsible, more permanent homes as soon as possible.
AT LARGE
Refers to an animal off the premises of the person owning or keeping or harboring it and not securely fastened to a tether, leash, cord or chain or the like.
BREEDER
Any person, firm, corporation, or organization in the business of breeding cats or dogs.
BROKER
Any person, firm, corporation, or organization who sells a cat or dog to a pet shop, whether or not the broker is also the breeder of the cat or dog.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or altered.
DOG
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
HARBOR
The act of providing space or making available food or shelter in such a manner which attracts a dog(s), cat(s) or other animal.
HOUSEHOLD ANIMALS
All nonfarm animals or fully domesticated animal for ownership.
KENNEL
Any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling animals or breeding animals for sale is carried on, except a pet shop.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of an animal, includes every person having a right of property or custody in such animal and every person who has such animal in his/her keeping or who harbors or maintains an animal or knowingly permits an animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
PET DEALER
Any person engaged in the ordinary course of business in the sale of cats or dogs to the public for profit or any person who sells or offers for sale more than five cats or dogs in one year.
PET SHOP
Any place of business which is not part of a kennel, wherein animals, including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, hamsters or gerbils, are kept or displayed chiefly for the purpose of sale to individuals for personal appreciation and companionship rather than for business or research purposes.
POUND
An establishment for the confinement of animals seized either under the provisions of this Article or otherwise.
QUARANTINE
To hold in segregation/isolation from the general human and/or animal population any animal because of the presence or suspected presence of a contagious or infectious disease.
SHELTER
Any establishment where animals are received, housed and distributed without charge.
No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog within the Township without first obtaining a license therefor, to be issued by the Department of Health upon application by the owner and payment of the prescribed fee, and no person shall keep or harbor any dog except in compliance with the provisions of this article.
A. 
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall, in the month of January of each year and annually thereafter, apply for and procure from the Department of Health a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each such dog a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto.
B. 
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age and who fails to apply for and procure from the Department a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog by January 31 of each calendar year shall be charged a late fee in addition to the license fee. See § 173-4.
A. 
The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay a fee for the licensing of each dog and an additional sum for the registration tag of each dog; and for each annual renewal, the fee for the license and for the registration tag shall be the same as for the original license and tag. Said licenses, registration tags and renewals thereof shall expire on January 31 of each calendar year. The fee for the licensing of each dog and an additional sum for the registration tag of each dog shall be as follows:
(1) 
Dog license fee: $9.80.
(a) 
Registration fee: $2.
(b) 
State surcharge: $0.20.
[1] 
Total fee, neutered animal: $12.
[2] 
Total fee, unneutered animal: $15.
(2) 
Reduced dog license fee for seniors (age 60 and above): $5.80.
(a) 
Registration fee: $2.
(b) 
State surcharge: $0.20.
[1] 
Total fee, neutered animal: $8.
[2] 
Total fee, unneutered animal: $11.
(3) 
Late fee for dog license not obtained by January 31: $10.
(4) 
Potentially dangerous dog license fee: Not less than $700 nor more than $1,000 in the discretion of the judge of a court of competent jurisdiction.
B. 
Dogs used as service animals shall be licensed and registered as dogs as hereinabove provided for, except that the owner or keeper of such service animal shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.
Only one license and registration tag shall be required in any licensing year for any dog owned in New Jersey, and such license and tag issued by any other municipality of this state shall be accepted by the township as evidence of compliance with §§ 173-3 and 173-4.
A. 
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog for which license and registration are sought, whether it is of a long-haired or shorthaired variety and the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such dog.
B. 
The information on said application and the registration number issued for the dog shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Department of Health and/or its designee. Registration numbers shall be issued in the order of the applications.
C. 
The Department of Health and/or its designee shall forward to the State Department of Health each month, on forms furnished by the said Department, an accurate account of registration numbers issued or otherwise disposed of.
A. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township any dog licensed in another state for the current year and bearing a registration tag and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the township for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog, unless a license for such dog is not required under § 173-10.
B. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township any unlicensed dog and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the township for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog, unless a license for such dog is not required under § 173-10.
A. 
No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
B. 
No licensed dog shall be allowed off the premises of the person owning, harboring or keeping the dog without the metal registration tag attached to its harness or collar.
A. 
Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, a pet shop, a shelter, animal care facility, or a pound shall apply to the Department of Health for a license entitling him to keep or operate such establishment. All licenses issued for such establishments shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, shall expire on the last day of January of each year and shall not be transferable to another owner or different premises.
B. 
Any person holding such license shall not be required to secure individual licenses for dogs owned by such licensee and kept at such establishments.
The application shall describe the premises where the establishment for a kennel, pet shop, shelter, animal care facility, or pound is located or is proposed to be located and the purpose or purposes for which it is to be maintained, and shall be accompanied by the written approval of the Health Officer showing compliance with the local and state rules and regulations governing the location of and sanitation at such establishments.
All licenses issued for a kennel, pet shop, shelter, animal care facility, or pound shall be subject to revocation by the Township Council on recommendation of the State Department of Health or the Township Health Officer for failure to comply with the applicable provisions of this article or the rules and regulations of the State Department of Health or of the Township governing the same, after the licensee has been afforded a hearing by either the State Department of Health or the Township Council.
A. 
The annual license fees for a kennel providing accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs and for more than 10 dogs and the annual license fee for a pet shop shall be as follows. No fee shall be charged for a shelter, animal care facility, or pound.
(1) 
10 or fewer dogs: $50.
(2) 
More than 10 dogs: $100.
(3) 
Pet shop: $200.
B. 
License fees for dog establishments shall be paid with the application.
A. 
License or other fees collected under the provisions hereof, except those paid to the state, shall be turned over to the Treasurer within 30 days of collection. The fees collected shall be accounted for and spent in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.11, as amended.
B. 
The registration tag fee for each dog shall be forwarded within 30 days after collection by the Department of Health and/or its designee to the State Department of Health.
The Department of Health and/or its designee shall forward to the State Department of Health a list of all kennels, pet shops, shelters, animal care facility, and pounds licensed within 30 days after licenses therefor are issued, which list shall include the name and address of the licensee and the kind of license issued.
The Chief of Police of the Township or any person appointed for the purpose by resolution of the Township Council shall annually cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the township. He shall report on or before May 1 of each year the results of said canvass to the Township Clerk and to the Township Health Official or his/her designee and to the State Department of Health, by setting forth in separate columns the names and addresses of persons owning, keeping or harboring such dogs; the number of licensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each of said persons, together with the registration number of each of said dogs; and the number of unlicensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each of said persons, together with a complete description of each of said unlicensed dogs.
The Township Council may appoint an Animal Control Warden and such Deputy Wardens as it may, from time to time, deem necessary, whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions of this article, to take into custody and impound dogs as provided in § 173-19 and to perform such other duties as may be established by resolution of the Township Council.
A. 
The Animal Control Warden, his Deputies or members of the Police Department shall take into custody or impound or cause to be taken into custody and impounded and, thereafter, destroyed or disposed of as hereinafter provided in this section:
(1) 
Any animal off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said animal which said official or his agent or agents have reason to believe is a stray animal.
(2) 
Any animal off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said animal with or without a current registration tag on his collar.
(3) 
Any animal kept in a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound and off such establishment and not confined or controlled as prescribed by § 173-14.
(4) 
Any animal running at large in violation of § 173-24.
(5) 
Any animal deemed vicious as set forth in § 173-26, to be disposed of in accordance with § 173-26.
B. 
If any animal seized pursuant to Subsection A(1) through (4) hereof wears a collar or harness having inscribed thereon or attached thereto the name and address of any person or a registration tag or the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal is known, the Animal Control Warden or anyone authorized by him shall forthwith serve on the person whose address is given on the collar or on the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal, if known, a notice, in writing, stating that the animal has been seized and will be liable to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within 10 days after the service of the notice.
C. 
A notice under Subsection B of this section may be served either by delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served or by leaving it at the person's usual or last known place of abode or at the address given on the collar or by forwarding it by mail in a prepaid letter addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode or to the address given on the collar.
D. 
When any animal seized pursuant to Subsection A(1) through (4) hereof has been detained for 10 days after notice, when notice can be given as above set forth in this section, or has been detained for 10 days after seizure, when notice has not been and cannot be given as above set forth in this section, and if the owner or person keeping or harboring said animal has not claimed said animal and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention or if, in the case of cat or dog, it is unlicensed at the time of the seizure and the owner or person keeping or harboring said cat or dog has not produced a license and registration tag for said cat or dog, the Animal Control Warden may cause the animal to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible.
A. 
There shall be a fee charged to the owner of each animal which is impounded pursuant to § 173-19A(1) through (5) hereof for picking up each animal, for each animal which is redeemed by its owner and for animal maintenance for each day or part thereof that the animal has been impounded. The fee shall be in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Townships third party animal control contractor as contract shelter and shall be paid when the animal is released.
B. 
Any redemption of an animal pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to discharge or release the owner thereof from the penalties prescribed in § 173-33 hereof for any violation of this article.
Any officer or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any animal or animals which he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit of such animal or animals, except upon the premises of the owner of the animal if said owner is present and forbids the same.
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any animal which habitually barks, meows or cries between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. or which by frequent barking, meowing or crying disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood and creates a nuisance thereby.
A. 
No person owning, keeping or harboring any animal shall suffer or permit it to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park or in any public building or in any other public place within the Township.
B. 
No person shall permit any animal in his care or custody or under his control, whether or not on a leash, tether, cord, chain or the like, to enter upon or defecate upon the lawn, yard, entrance walk, designated area or driveway of any private residence without the permission of the owner or tenant thereof. "Private residence" shall be defined for the purposes of this article to include, not by way of limitation, any limited common area designated by the Master Deed to be under the direction and control of an individual unit owner.
C. 
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic animal shall cause, suffer or allow such animal to soil, defile, defecate on or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk or upon any public property whatsoever, except under the following conditions:
(1) 
The person who owns, harbors, keeps or is in charge of such animal shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such animal by any sanitary method approved by the Township Health Officer or his/her designee.
(2) 
The feces removed from the aforementioned designated area shall be disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any animal curbed in accordance with the provisions of this article in a sanitary manner approved by the Township Health Officer or his/her designee.
D. 
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic animal shall cause, suffer or allow such animal to do any injury or damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds, or property of any person or entity (including any condominium association or homeowners association common area property) other than the owner or person having custody care and control of such animal.
Any animal which appears to be suffering from rabies or affected with hydrophobia, mange or other infectious or dangerous disease and found running at large may forthwith be destroyed by any police officer or the Animal Control Warden. A report of the disposal of all animals shall be promptly filed with the Chief of Police, who shall keep a proper and complete record in a substantially bound book.
A. 
Any animal which has on more than one occasion attacked or bitten a human being or which habitually attacks other wild or domestic animals or which otherwise has shown such savagery, fierceness or ferocity as to indicate that it is a threat to the safety of individual persons or other animals is hereby defined to be a vicious animal for the purposes of this section.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Warden or the Chief of Police to receive and to cause to be investigated complaints against animals. When any animal shall be deemed by the Animal Control Warden or any member of the Police Department or Health Officer, whether on his own complaint or the complaint of another, to be a vicious animal, as herein defined, he shall forthwith take into custody and impound said animal and report the facts to the Judge of the Municipal Court, who shall thereupon cause the owner or person harboring such animal, if known, to be notified, in writing, of the complaint against such animal and to appear before said Judge at a stated time and place. The Judge, at the time set for such hearing, shall inquire into the facts and give all interested persons an opportunity to be heard, under oath, and to be represented by counsel.
C. 
If the Judge decides, in accordance with the evidence before him, that such animal complained of is a vicious animal, as defined by this section, he may order the destruction of the animal or permit the animal to remain alive under stipulated terms or conditions. Notice of such decision shall be given to the owner or person harboring such animal, if known.
D. 
In the event a vicious animal is permitted to remain alive, no such animal shall be permitted to run at large or be upon any street or public place in the Township except while securely muzzled or under leash. The owner or person harboring any such vicious animal who shall suffer or permit such animal to run upon any street or public place in the Township while not securely muzzled and under leash shall be guilty of a violation of this article.
No person shall keep, maintain, and/or feed of any stray or feral cats or wild animals. The maintenance and/or feeding of privately owned cats and/or dogs in such a manner as to create unsanitary conditions, attract vermin, or be potentially detrimental to health or create a public nuisance is hereby prohibited.
A. 
In the event that the Animal Control Warden or a member of the Police Department shall be summoned to dispose of the remains of a deceased animal whose body shall be on a public roadway or upon the property of an individual who is not the owner of said animal, the owner of said deceased animal shall be charged a fee in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Townships third party animal control contractor.
B. 
No person shall dispose of the body of any deceased animal by placing the body of said animal upon a public roadway or by leaving said body upon the property of another without the permission of the owner of said property.
A. 
The primary responsibility for transporting and delivering animal heads and specimens to the State of New Jersey Health Department laboratories in Trenton, New Jersey, shall rest with the owner of the animal in question.
B. 
In the case of animals involved in biting incidents which require laboratory analysis for rabies detection, the Township may assume responsibility for transporting such specimens as may be required. When the owner of the animal cannot deliver the specimen to the laboratory, a fee will be charged in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Townships third party animal control contractor.
No person, which shall be defined as including a family unit, shall keep, harbor, have possession or custody of more than five dogs or cats of the same type or combination thereof, on any one residential parcel of land within the township. This restriction shall not include the temporary (until weaned) keeping of puppies or kittens which have been born to a female dog or cat kept on the same residential parcel of land at the time of birth of said puppies or kittens nor to five or more dogs or cats which were licensed pursuant to this chapter, provided that said dogs or cats shall not be replaced so long as four or more other domesticated animals shall be kept, harbored or possessed or be in such custody at said residential parcel of land.
No kennel or pet shop shall sell, offer for retail sale, barter, auction, or otherwise, puppies, dogs, kittens or cats bred in puppy or kitten mills, or from any breeder and/or broker engaged in the business of selling more than five kittens, cats or dogs in a calendar year. A kennel or pet shop may only sell, display; or offer for sale only those puppies, dogs, kittens or cats that the pet shop has obtained from or in cooperation with an animal care facility or an animal rescue organization. A pet shop shall not sell or offer for sale puppies, dogs, kittens or cats that are younger than eight weeks old. Every kennel, animal care facility, or pet shop shall comply with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 56:8-92-97, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-12.1-12.3, N.J.A.C. 8:23-1.1-1.5 and N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.1-1.13. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit a shelter, pound, animal care facility, or other establishment from keeping, displaying or selling any cat or dog which has been seized, rescued or donated.